Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today launched a common card for rides on public buses and the metro, terming it a big step in the city's transport sector.

Delhi is the first city in the country to have a common mobility card, which can at present be used on 200 DTC and 50 cluster buses plying on different routes, apart from metro trains.

The buses of DTC's Raj Ghat Depot-I and Rohini Depot-I plying on different routes and those of Cluster scheme's BBM depot-II will have the facility as of now.

"It's a big step in the transport sector that will facilitate the seamless travel of people in Delhi," Kejriwal told reporters after a short ride on a DTC bus on the occasion.

The card, which will function like a debit card, will be operational in all DTC and cluster buses from April 1. The city has around 3,900 DTC and over 1,600 cluster buses.

Earlier, the Delhi government and the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) agreed to authorise the metro smart card to be used as common mobility card for paying fares in DTC and cluster buses.

The Reserve Bank of India gave approval to the DMRC in February, 2017 for operating its pre-paid instrument called PPI-MTS (Prepaid Instrument Mass Transit System) for this purpose. The DMRC smart card is the first to get authorization under this category, said a government official.

The Smart card will be tapped on the Electronic Ticketing Machines (ETMs) available with bus conductors for payment of fares.

Smart cards can be purchased from any Delhi metro station. The common mobility cards will be made available at all the ISBTs, railway stations and tourist information centres of the Delhi tourism department in coming months, the official said.